Warriors: Ice and Flame
by DigitzzWhee
Summary: An evil is rising in ThunderClan, and the kin of ice and flame must defeat it. (NOT A "FIRE AND ICE" AU!) Rated T, this is Warriors, there will be blood.
1. A New Day

_Maplepaw stood in some sort of clearing. It was also foggy. The fog was so thick she could hardly see her paws in front of her. She wasn't sure how she'd gotten there, exactly. The last thing she remembered was padding over to a mossy nest and lying down in it._

_So that was it. A dream._

"_Hello?" Maplepaw called. "Is anybody there?" There was no reply._

_And then the fog started to swirl around her. Then the wind seemed to whisper as if it were made up of the whispers of a group of cats. _

The kin of ice and flame, _the voices seemed to say. _The kin of ice and flame! _Utterly confused, Maplepaw cried out to them. "What are you trying to tell me?" But her wail was lost in the sound of the rising wind. The wind became stronger and stronger until Maplepaw thought it might blow her pelt off; and then she was blown away suddenly._

Maplepaw awoke with a gasp, sitting up in her nest. It was dawn already, and Thunderpaw was looking at her with a concerned glint in his green eyes. "You alright?"

"Yeah," she replied. "Just a bad dream." She stretched and padded outside the den. It was a beautiful greenleaf day. She hoped that it'd be a good day for hunting - Foxleaf had promised to give her an assessment today… She wondered what the dream had meant.

_Maybe it's a prophecy! _Her paws tingled with excitement. But she was no medicine cat - that was Ivydawn's job. _If it was a prophecy, Ivydawn would probably know anyway. _She decided it probably wasn't important.

Maplepaw dropped into the hunter's crouch, and stalked the mouse, careful to put her paws down as lightly as possible. She pounced - her paws landed on top of the mouse, which let out a small squeak before she quickly nipped its spine. She tasted the air again and didn't scent any prey. But that was okay, because she knew she'd gotten enough prey to pass the assessment anyway. She padded over to a clump of ferns where she'd buried her prey, and dug it up to take back.

Maplepaw returned to the camp carrying a squirrel, the fat mouse, and a very large pigeon (which had been quite difficult to catch) and dropped it in the fresh-kill pile. She spotted Foxleaf in the corner of her eye, and turned.

"Great job!" Foxleaf purred. Maplepaw's chest swelled with pride. "I bet Crowstar will make you a warrior within a few moons. It's a nice day, so go talk with your denmates." Maplepaw took a blackbird for herself and went to join the other apprentices.

Thunderpaw was sitting in a sunny spot near the elders' den, and he waved his tail for her to come over. "Wolfpaw isn't back yet," he mewed when she sat. "Anyway, what'd you catch?"

"A squirrel, a mouse, and this _huge _pigeon," Maplepaw reported. "When do you think Wolfpaw'll be back?"

The ginger tom shrugged. "He has to be back by sunset. He's never been the best hunter." Maplepaw remembered that Wolfpaw's mentor, Sagetail, had sent him to an area near a badger den to hunt; she prayed that he would return safely. They hadn't had much trouble with badgers in the past, but she didn't think the badger scent there was stale.

As Maplepaw finished her blackbird, she noticed a small gray cat padding into camp. _Wolfpaw! _He was carrying only one piece of prey, but it was a _huge _rabbit, so she supposed that made up for it. "Hi Wolfpaw!" She mewed. "How'd you do?"

Wolfpaw didn't respond at first, but after he set the rabbit down he mewed, "Not very good, I think. If that rabbit wasn't so big I bet I'd be in real trouble."

"Mm," Thunderpaw mumbled (his mouth was full with the mouse he was eating).

"Also, I have something _very important _to tell you," Wolfpaw added, his face deadly serious. "Can you meet me at the abandoned Twoleg den at dawn?"

"What's so serious we need to go all the way out there to hear it?" Maplepaw mewed, wondering what was troubling Wolfpaw.

"I can't tell you now!" Wolfpaw hissed. Maplepaw noticed his green eyes flicker up to where Sagetail sat on the deputy's rock, and back. _He's worried Sagetail will hear him! _Maplepaw realized. _What could he want to tell us that the deputy can't hear? Surely she should be the one to hear, out of all of us?_

"Okay," Maplepaw mewed. Wolfpaw and Maplepaw both looked at Thunderpaw, waiting for his verdict. Thunderpaw looked up from his mouse, nodded, and continued eating.

Maplepaw wondered if Wolfpaw's secret would have anything to do with her dream. _Maybe he knows what "ice and flame" means!_


	2. Wolfpaw's Secret

Maplepaw blinked open her eyes, expecting to see sunlight streaming through the bramble walls of the apprentices' den. But it was dark. Then she remembered - Wolfpaw wanted to meet them at dawn. Relief flooded over her. She hadn't slept too long!

Maplepaw sat up. Wolfpaw's nest was empty; she guessed he must be waiting for them at the Twoleg den. She prodded Thunderpaw in the side. "Whussit?"

"Wolfpaw wants to meet us at the old Twoleg den," she reminded him.

"Oh, right."

She and Thunderpaw padded quietly out of the camp and toward the den. Thunderpaw grumbled, "What do you think is so important that we need to leave the camp at dawn to hear it?"

"I was wondering that too," Maplepaw replied. "I think it might have something to do with the deputy."

"Sagetail?" Thunderpaw's eyes widened, not in shock, but in interest. "What makes you think that?"

"I saw Wolfpaw glance up at her when he was talking to us yesterday," Maplepaw mewed. "But I can't imagine what she's done. Or going to do. She's a loyal deputy!" _Right?_

They arrived at the Twoleg den; Maplepaw saw that Wolfpaw was already waiting for them. He waved a gray tabby tail, gesturing for them to come over.

"You're sure nobody's followed you, right?" Wolfpaw asked.

"Yes," Maplepaw answered.

"Then sit down, and I'll tell you everything." They sat. "Yesterday when I was hunting, I strayed a bit far away from where Sagetail asked me to hunt," he began. "It was near the ShadowClan border. I saw Sagetail talking to a ShadowClan cat."

There was a sharp intake of breath from Thunderpaw; Maplepaw was rendered speechless. _And I thought she was a loyal deputy._

"I don't know why she was there or who the ShadowClan cat was," Wolfpaw mewed. "Do you believe me?" Now the gray tabby apprentice sounded a bit worried.

"Of course we believe you," Thunder

paw mewed. Maplepaw thought she heard a rustle somewhere in the forest behind them. Wolfpaw must have heard it too.

"We should go now," he mewed. The three apprentices left for the camp.

Maplepaw wasn't quite sure how to take the news. Sagetail never had seemed like the kind of cat to betray her Clan. But surely Wolfpaw wasn't lying. _Was he? _She'd known Wolfpaw since he was a kit. He wasn't the type to lie to his closest friends. She wasn't sure what to believe. _But if we don't find out… ThunderClan may fall to the paws of a ShadowClan warrior._


	3. Foreboding Meeting

Maplepaw awoke to the sounds of newleaf. The sunlight was streaming through the bramble walls of the den. Jeez. It's bright out today. She stood and stretched, then poked Wolfpaw and Thunderpaw with her tail to wake them up.

"Come on and get up, sleepyhead."

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat…" Wolfpaw moaned.

"Foxleaf and Sagetail want us to practice tree jumping."

"I'm coming," Thunderpaw grumbled.

Foxleaf was waiting for them by the camp entrance. "Hi. Sagetail told me something came up and she's got to skip out, but I'm still here." Skipped out? She and Wolfpaw exchanged a glance. Maplepaw guessed he was thinking the same thing as she was. She must be meeting the ShadowClan cat!

But Foxleaf led them over toward the WindClan border instead. "You already know how to climb trees, right?" The three apprentices nodded. "Alright then. Climb on up here and I'll give you some jumping tips." They did so.

"What you should avoid doing is jumping onto dead branches," Foxleaf mewed. "Dead branches are more brittle and weaker, and they can break off easily. Sometimes it can be hard to tell what's dead and what's not in leaf-bare, though." Foxleaf flicked a black-tipped tail toward a sickly-looking branch. "Like that one over there."

"Got it," Maplepaw mewed. She stepped out onto the tree limb and cautiously padded outward until she felt it would break if she went much further. And then she leapt onto a thick-looking branch and landed safely.

But then Sagetail came back into her mind. I know she's doing something, she thought. I've got to go see for myself before Sagetail gets back! "I'm going to go make dirt," she called to Foxleaf, who didn't reply. She was busy watching Wolfpaw. Whatever. I'm still going. Maplepaw hopped down off of the tree and made her way to the ShadowClan border.

She could scent Sagetail. The deputy had definitely been this way. She followed the trail and saw Sagetail on the border. And standing beside her was a brown tabby tom who looked a bit scared of her. Maplepaw paused, trying not to make any noise, and strained to hear their words.

"How soon will it be?" Sagetail hissed to the tom.

"We're working on it," Maplepaw could sense the tom's suppressed terror.

"Oakpelt, I said," Sagetail snarled, "How - soon - will - it - be?"

"I don't know!" Oakpelt was no longer covering up his terror. "Cats are unpredictable!"

"I'll give you one day," The deputy decided. "To tell me when. Otherwise I'll tell your whole Clan what you've done. You are dismissed." The tom hurriedly ran back to his own territory. With a swish of her ginger tail, Sagetail got up and began to leave. She's coming toward me! StarClan, don't let her see me… She shrank back further into the bush. The white-and-ginger she-cat left without noticing.

What has Oakpelt done? She decided to ask the elders later. They might've heard rumors. And what is Sagetail plotting?


	4. Foxleaf Gets Very Confused

Now Maplepaw knew. Sagetail was not to be trusted. But the black-and-ginger apprentice had other things to worry about. She knew Foxleaf would give the apprentices their assessments soon. So she resolved to train a little harder from now on.

Foxleaf's impatient mew broke into her thoughts. "Maplepaw?"

"Sorry, Foxleaf…"

"I was _trying _to show you a move. Now will you please pay attention?"

"Yes."

Foxleaf sighed, and turned to Thunderpaw, who was helping to demonstrate the move. "If you're ever laying with your belly up and your opponent is going to jump on you, but you don't have time to get to your paws, try tucking your hind legs in and face them up." Foxleaf did so. "Thunderpaw, you leap on me." Thunderpaw leapt on her, and then Foxleaf delivered a powerful kick with her hind legs to send Thunderpaw flying. Foxleaf stood and shook out her pelt. "If you happen to kick them really hard into a tree or something, then they might be a bit disoriented and give you extra time to attack. But it might not be a very good idea if your opponent is much heavier than you. Alright, your turn. Thunderpaw, you do the move."

A bit apprehensive, Maplepaw turned to Thunderpaw. She waited a moment for him to get in postition, then leapt.

In an instant Thunderpaw gave her chest a huge kick that seemed to knock the breath from her lungs. She landed with a _thump _on the other end of the training area. Maplepaw coughed. "Wow, that was good," she mewed.

Foxleaf nodded, impressed.

"Foxleaf!" The mew was Sagetail's, coming from the direction of camp.

"What?"

"You are to take Maplepaw out for training near the WindClan border tomorrow," Sagetail declared with a very strong air of superiority.

"No," Foxleaf mewed. "I'm going to take her to practice hunting skills."

"_You will take her to the WindClan border,_" Sagetail repeated.

"She's my apprentice!" Foxleaf hissed. "I can take her where I want!"

"And I am the deputy! _YOU WILL DO AS I SAY!_" Sagetail roared. Foxleaf shrunk back and nodded timidly. Sagetail gave a little grunt of satisfaction and left. Foxleaf shot Maplepaw a bewildered glance. Maplepaw thought she knew what her mentor was thinking. _What's gotten into her?_

"Well then," Foxleaf gave a weary sigh. "I suppose I'll just take you to the WindClan border to practice instead."


	5. The Deputy's Deed

Foxleaf bared her teeth. She somewhat slowly drew out a paw to swipe at Maplepaw, as if uncertain. I can parry that easily! Maplepaw lifted a forepaw to bat away Foxleaf's attack, but as quick as lightning Foxleaf drew her paw back and flashed out another, swiping Maplepaw's other foreleg out from under her. Maplepaw's front landed on the ground with a little whump.

"Wow, that was cool!" Maplepaw commented, standing up. "If you were quick you could've been on top of me."

"Exactly," Foxleaf mewed. "The trick is to switch your paws quickly so you don't fall over. Now try it on me."

Maplepaw slowly began to swipe at her mentor with a paw, then quickly put it down and swiped with the other.

"Looks like you've got it," Foxleaf mewed, impressed, as she shook leaf litter off her pelt. "Now, do you know the trick to avoiding that move?" Maplepaw shook her head. "Actually, all you have to do is get low to the ground and dig your claws in, if you feel like they'll try it anyway. You could also try putting more weight on your forepaws, and then they'll be harder to move. What's that sound?" The russet she-cat twitched her ears, and looked in the direction of the ShadowClan border. Maplepaw heard it too; the screech of a cat in pain, abruptly silenced.

"Let's go!" Foxleaf ordered her apprentice; they dashed off to the sound, and were met by nothing at all.

"What in the…?" Maplepaw muttered.

"Well. Must've been nothing…" Foxleaf sighed. She doesn't really believe that. "Come on, you must be tired. Let's go back to camp."

Maplepaw took a bite of her shrew and wondered when Thunderpaw would return. And at that very moment Sagetail and Thunderpaw burst in. Sagetail looks distressed. No, that's an understatement. She looked to Thunderpaw. And he looks shocked. Where's Wolfpaw?

"You've got to come at once!" Sagetail wailed, then dashed out again. Foxleaf, Maplepaw, and Foggypaw went after her. Sagetail and Thunderpaw stopped at the place where Foxleaf and Maplepaw thought they had located the shriek. Sagetail led them to a hole that reeked of fox. A fox den! She exchanged a glance with her mentor. Why didn't we scent it?

And as they padded inside, Maplepaw saw a cat's body. She gasped. The dead cat was a gray tabby tom, and his bright green eyes gazed sightlessly into the distance…

"No!" Maplepaw shrieked, pelting to the body. "Wolfpaw!"


End file.
